Thruster DEX
About
Thruster is the flagship decentralized exchange (DEX) of the Blast ecosystem. Launched during the Blast Hackathon, it scaled to $600M+ TVL and $7B+ trading volume with 100k+ users, becoming the chain’s primary liquidity hub.
Client
Fscape Technology
DELIVERABLES
BRAND IDENTITY / UX STRATEGY / UI DESIGN / DESIGN SYSTEM / HI-FI SCREENS
Year
2023
Role
SENIOR PRODUCT DESIGNER, END-TO-END EXECUTION
Project Overview
My role was to lead the branding, UX, and UI design. The challenge was balancing two different audiences: mainstream swappers who want simplicity, and crypto traders who need advanced tools like farming and gauge voting. Using progressive disclosure, we kept the entry simple but revealed depth as users explored. The brand identity leaned hype-driven and edgy to match Blast’s culture, while the design system ensured scalability.
Challenge
Most DEXs either cater to newcomers with simplicity (like Uniswap) or degens with complex tools (like Curve). Thruster needed to merge both worlds—building trust and clarity for new users while delivering advanced tools for power traders—without diluting its hype-driven brand presence.
● FRAGMENTED USER JOURNEYS
Organized navigation separating quick swaps from deeper yield tools.
● LACK OF TRUST SIGNALS
In a high-risk DeFi environment, users needed clearer indicators of protocol credibility.
● INCONSISTENT DESIGN LANGUAGE
The absence of a unified system across web and app created friction and diluted brand presence.
Research & Insights
We studied leading DEX competitors (Uniswap, Curve) and observed the broader crypto culture on Blast. Insights revealed that mainstream traders value simplicity and transparency, while degen traders demand advanced tools like gauge voting, farming, and LP optimization. This highlighted an opportunity: design a product that could satisfy both segments without alienating either.
Personas
Users fell into two main groups. Mainstream swappers wanted simple, low-friction swaps they could trust, while degen traders needed advanced farming dashboards, gauge controls, and LP mechanics that could perform at scale.
Strategy & Concept
The strategy was to balance accessibility with depth using progressive disclosure: starting with a clean swap flow for new users, while revealing advanced tools as users explored further.
● CLEARER HIERARCHY
Organized navigation separating quick swaps from deeper yield tools.
● CONSISTENT DESIGN SYSTEM
Unified components, typography, and tokens across web and app.
● ADVANCED YIELD TOOLS
Integrated LP analytics, impermanent loss calculators, and APR breakdowns.
● CREDIBILITY SIGNALS
Transparent stats, clean visuals, and protocol info to increase user trust.
Design Outcome
We delivered a streamlined design system in Figma with rapid iteration to meet hackathon deadlines while scaling for real users. The branding used sharp, energetic visuals to capture attention, while the UX ensured newcomers weren’t overwhelmed and advanced traders could dive into powerful dashboards.
Key Takeaways
Thruster proved how brand + UX strategy can capture multiple audiences at once, fueling fast adoption and market leadership. By aligning with crypto culture while balancing simplicity and depth, the project achieved explosive growth—$600M+ TVL and $7B+ volume—cementing itself as Blast’s go-to DEX.
